A farm in North West Norfolk - 15th January 2025

 Today, joined by CJH, we worked the farm hedgerows in thick fog for much of the morning. This winter has been difficult as much of the wild bird mix areas have failed, providing less food than could have been expected and providing less cover for siting nets. We believe this crop failure is partly responsible for the reduced numbers of finches and buntings in some farms this winter. 

5F Reed Bunting with darvic code UW(BB)

We secreted some two panel nets in some waist high curly kale, one full height net through the hedgerow with more parallel to the hedge boundary. There were some quite large groups of Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Reed Bunting. However our catches were quite modest. We did at least catch 6 Reed Bunting and get the opportunity to mark them with brown darvics, code UW followed by two letters.

Total: 15 (8)

Blackbird - 1 (2)
Blue Tit - 2 (1)
Dunnock - 3 (4)
Great Tit - 1
Reed Bunting - 6
Robin - 0 (1)
Wren - 2

Stanhoe Orchard - 12th January 2025

 Plans to target a finch flock near Langham had to be abandoned as they have been attracting attention from photographers, being in hedges right next to the road. With the frosty conditions we decided that that it was best not to try that on a weekend when frustrated toggers might criticise us for catching in the cold (while ruining their plans). Instead, returned to the orchard.

We got 6 doubles up and ran a session from 8am to 12:30pm catching a total of 35 birds of which 26 were Fieldfare. This means that they are our leading species at this point of the year and it's not that often anyone can say that.

The team was CL, DKL & EGB with experience of two new species for EGB.

Near full moon sinking over Stanhoe as we approached.

Total: 33 (2)

Blackbird - 1
Dunnock - 0(1)
Fieldfare - 26
Goldfinch - 5
Green Woodpecker - 1
Robin - 0 (1)

Stanhoe Orchard - 10th January 2025

 A hard frost, but minimal breeze to start the morning. The birds were sparsely spread all around the orchard as the apple crop had been a bumper one and windfalls were still present in several areas of the site. We got five doubles up, mostly larger mesh nets and covered three rides where there were apples on the ground.

We finished on 31 birds, 20 being Fieldfare. This is the best yearly total that we've ever had there, and there is still the possibility of more captures, if the weather stays cold. Redwings were conspicuous by their absence.

6M Fieldfare

Adult male Green Woodpecker

Total: 31

Blackbird - 3
Blue Tit - 2
Chaffinch - 2
Fieldfare - 20
Green Woodpecker - 1
Goldfinch - 2
Robin - 1

A farm in North West Norfolk - 3rd January 2025

 The first session of the year and a very chilly start. There were a few smaller flocks of finches about, but we failed to capitalise on that as they were very mobile and the full height nets were blowing a bit too much. We did do quite well with a double of three panel nets.

We started the morning believing we were in for a Dunnock day, with all but one bird from the first round being a Dunnock. Thankfully, we did manage to get a few Chaffinch and some retraps from the past couple of years.

6M Chaffinch

Beautifully marked and shaped adult Chaffinch retrices

5F Starling

Total: 25 (10)

Blackbird - 1 (3)
Chaffinch - 11
Dunnock - 11 (6)
Robin - 0 (1)
Starling - 1
Wren - 1

Iceni Bird Monitoring Group, end of year totals 2024

 

Total new birds ringed in 2025, species showing as 0 were ringed in 2022 or 2023 but were not captured in 2024. There were over 970 subsequent encounters, mainly retraps but quite a few colour ring re-sightings too.

Sculthorpe Moor - 14th December 2024

 A last minute change of plan saw us back at Sculthorpe, this time monitoring birds on the north fields. It was rather windier than ideal and catching was slow. It was nice to get three Reed Buntings, and to retrap a couple of birds that we'd encountered at the feeders two days before. Retraps that close to a previous capture gives an opportunity to compare weight and we found that BTC1000 was doing quite well weighing 0.3g more than previously whereas BTC0997 is doing less well having dropped 0.5g. The third Blue Tit recapture had been ringed on 27/07/2022 and not seen until today.

Total: 12 (5)

Blue Tit - 2 (3)
Dunnock - 3
Great Tit - 2 (2)
Reed Bunting - 3
Robin - 1 

A farm in North West Norfolk - 13th December 2024

 Plenty of finches feeding in the wild bird crop, however most managed to evade the nets as they continued to be quite mobile around the site all morning. Finished on 36 birds of 9 species. Ringing team of CL, DKL, DMD & LC.

Reed Bunting, 3M

Total: 26 (10)

Blackbird - 5 (1)
Blue Tit - 7 (5)
Chaffinch - 1
Dunnock - 4
Great Tit - 2 (3)
Greenfinch - 1
Reed Bunting - 4
Robin - 1 (1)
Song Thrush - 1